Things Left Unsaid
by The Nameless Pharaoh
Summary: What if Kaiba was there when Yugi was taken by the Seal of Orichalcos? How he would handle the sight of his rival breaking down before him. Fluffy comfort Prideshipping or deep Kaiba/Yami friendship, you decide.


**Things Left Unsaid**

 **Summary:** What if Kaiba was there when Yugi was taken by the Seal of Orichalcos? How he would handle the sight of his rival breaking down before him.

 **Rating:** T (to be safe)

 **Pairings:** Could be seen as Prideshipping or a strong friendship between Kaiba and Yami.

 **Warnings for OOC Yami and caring Kaiba, who doesn't really know where his emotions are at this point.**

Kaiba's jaw dropped and he stared in disbelief as Yami had cried out from the final blow. His body was shrouded in blinding light as his life points plummeted to zero. Kaiba had received a call from Yugi's group that he had gone missing in the middle of the night and without hesitation, he jumped into his personal helicopter and made his way to their location. As he was approaching the area he noticed the familiar haunting green light coming from the infamous Death Valley and found himself landing beside a convertible, abandoned by the squad who was gasping in horror as the duel within the glow was taking a horrible turn.

Kaiba was at a loss for words as Yami's body slumped forward and Rafael approached victoriously with a smirk, taunting him with nonsense about fate and blaming himself, adding a comment about a magical fairytale Leviathan. He thought he heard Tristan say something about a soul being taken but he shook his head to ignore him. Just because he was forced to believe there were two Yugi's didn't mean he believed these other absurdities. He had seen this card played twice - against himself as well as Joey, and both times nothing had happened. Still…

He grit his teeth and looked onwards just in time to see Yami drop to his knees before crumbling to the ground.

"Adios your Highness." Hearing Rafael mock his rival made his blood boil and he had to clench his fists to keep from lashing out. Yugi - or rather his darker counterpart Yami, was the only person who had ever defeated him. Who was this man to come out of nowhere and say these things?

"Hey, you alright pal?" Joey called out. "Yugi, get up! Please Yuug!" He could feel the panic radiating off of the trio beside him as Rafael bent down to the unconscious King of Games and removed a card from his duel disk as well as a glowing piece of jewelry around his neck.

Kaiba was about to make a dash to his helicopter when a new buzzing noise overwhelmed them all. A blast of wind hit them as a second copter flew into view, hovering above Yami and Rafael and dropping a ladder down. The group could only watch as the man scooped up their unconscious friend and was lifted into the sky above their heads.

Kaiba was frozen, gaping at the man in shock and for once was lost for words. His rival was now at the mercy of this stranger, who he was to believe had stripped him of his soul and was feeding it to a mythical Leviathan. He was willing to give chase in his own helicopter, but who was to say, miles above the sky, the man wouldn't just drop him? His mission was clearly already accomplished.

"Take your hands off of him!" Joey yelled out angrily, and Kaiba had to bite his lip from lashing out himself.

"Fine!"

Kaiba wasn't expecting the man to give up his hostage and watched in horror as Yugi's body was tossed from the sky. Joey and Tristan were knocked over by the sudden weight that toppled onto them. Kaiba's eyes flashed from the three on the ground back up to Rafael, who had a dark smirk on his face. His next words made his blood run cold.

"You can keep him. I already have everything of his I need."

He growled at his own helplessness and once again thought of giving chase to this man, but it was useless. By now the chopper had taken off at full speed and there was no way to catch up. He glared at the spot where the duel had just taken place and wondered what exactly had just happened when his thoughts were cut off by Duke's raised voice.

"You gotta get up!"

"Can you hear us, Yugi?" Tristan added with clear anxiety.

"Come on… wake up!" Joey called out as Kaiba took a few steps closer to them to observe the damage. He could feel the knot in his own stomach growing at the sight of his unconscious rival and he had to remind himself to breathe. His feelings towards the man were confusing to even himself. Even though he kept his cold facade, he knew he had an unexplainable stronger bond with the man that shared Yugi's body ever since Ishizu explained their ancient history together. He forced himself to remain quiet as the rest of the group tried desperately to awaken their friend.

His mind was tossed back to what Rafael was saying during the duel and he suddenly wished he hadn't ignored Tristan's comments when he had arrived earlier. If it was true the soul of the loser was stolen, fed to this Great Leviathan, would he wake up at all? And if he did, would it be the soul of innocent Yugi, or his rival, the great nameless pharaoh which he had later learned went by Yami. His heart was pounding in his chest as he noticed a flicker of movement from his unconscious friend.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as eyelids fluttered and slowly opened to reveal unfocused amethyst. Kaiba couldn't help but gasp at the realization that it was not Yugi who had awakened, but the Pharaoh. The exotic, captivating sharpness of Yami's eyes was unmistakable. Kaiba wasn't sure if anyone else could see the differences that seemed so stark to him. While Yugi seemed shy and unsure of the world, Yami carried himself with an air of grace and regality, his confidence evident in their interactions. Choosing not to get involved, he swallowed hard and allowed Yugi's friend group to discover the reality on their own.

"He's awake!" Tristan gasped as everyone rose to their feet, giving Yami room to breathe. Although Kaiba knew the rest couldn't see it, he instantly recognized both the panic and exhaustion in the Pharaoh's eyes and he folded his arms and watched in curiosity as Yami followed the group to weakly stand.

"I knew you'd outsmart that big goon. So how'd you do it, Yuug? How'd you escape?" Joey grinned as the group huddled closer. Yami's eyes were squeezed shut tightly, and Kaiba's own eyes narrowed as the Pharaoh's body began trembling as he desperately fought back tears. "Is everything alright Pal?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes at Joey's unneeded last comment. Clearly everything was not alright. He was about to step forward and interject when Yami answered him. Kaiba could hear the strain in his voice.

"No Joey, it's far from alright. I didn't outsmart him. He succeeded. Yugi is gone."

As Yami turned away from them, a gasp echoed through the group. His suspicions were correct and Yugi's soul was taken after all. He grit his teeth and felt his hands shaking from the tension he squeezed into them. His knuckles were white and he forced himself to let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. If Yugi was gone, what would happen to the Pharaoh? The moments his rival's emotions wavered from his usual self confidence were rare, but even in those times he'd never seen him so shaken up.

He allowed his thoughts to wander to the Pharaoh's name… Yami. Darkness. If he was Yugi's other half of his soul, as it had been explained to him, Yugi must be the light. Yugi knew a life outside of his other half, but the other counterpart did not. He was sealed away inside a puzzle of darkness for millenia. The only world he knew of was the world with his light beside him. The body he used wasn't even his own, did he know how to properly care for it?

Kaiba was snapped out of his train of thoughts by Yami's heartbroken cry. "It should have been me, not him! It's not fair!" The broken pharaoh was on his knees heavily gasping as his fists slammed into the dirt below him with tears pouring from his eyes. "Yugi!"

Kaiba's heart was breaking alongside his rival's. He may not understand his emotions for the Pharaoh but he knew he cared for him, as much as he tried to ignore and hide them. He could hear Yami's breaths quickening and growing louder and his friend circle wasn't making any moves, apparently too stunned to do anything.

"Yugi, I…"

"No, I'm not... Yugi." the Pharaoh cut Joey off before he could say another word. Another pained sob escaped him and he rested his head against his trembling knuckles, weakly calling out Yugi's name in a panicked mantra between sharp inhales of breath. Sweat poured from his face, mixing with the tears in his eyes and falling to the earth below. These actions did not go unnoticed by Kaiba as he suddenly realized what was going on. He had to get Yami to his senses before it worsened.

"Yami," He finally spoke, "you need to get yourself under control. We'll get him back."

He didn't mean for it to come out so harsh, but it was too late to take it back now. He heard his rival's breath hitch at the sound of his name, but the momentary silence was broken by hyperventilating, and Yami collapsed onto his side, no longer able to hold himself up. Whether it was from the panic attack Kaiba knew he was experiencing or exhaustion from the extraction of Yugi's soul he couldn't tell. What he did know however, was that he had seen enough.

"Yami!" Tristan and Joey gasped and ran beside their friend, closely followed by Duke. His eyes were clamped shut as he struggled to control his breathing and his entire form trembled. Kaiba grit his teeth and knew at this point that the Pharaoh's mind was no longer there. Refusing to let anything else happen, he pushed through the crowd, earning a yelp from Joey and kneeled before his rival, gently rolling him onto his back.

"Kaiba, just what do you think you're doing with him?" Joey hollered, waving a fist as if ready to fight. "Don't you think he's been through enough?"

"You think I don't know that, mutt?" He snapped back aggressively, moving to slide his arms underneath Yami's knees and neck. His rival's body was cold like ice and he had to suppress a shudder of alarm. Joey was uncharacteristically quiet for once.

"What are you going to do?" Duke asked, his voice more controlled than Joey and Tristan's but still showed concern.

"Get him somewhere quiet and away from you dorks so he can calm down and we can figure out where to find Yugi." Kaiba muttered as pulled the Pharaoh into his arms, surprised at how light his rival was.

The expressions on the trio's faces were unreadable, but Kaiba didn't have time to waste reassuring them. Although calmer, Yami was still a mess and he wasn't going to allow this to continue. In their close proximity, he could feel his rival's heart racing and he unconsciously tightened his grip. He was no stranger to panic attacks. His brother suffered through them during their times in the orphanage and Kaiba was the only one who could calm him during those sleepless nights.

"I'll meet you at the old man's RV when he's ready."

Kaiba didn't wait for an answer as he strode to his helicopter. The pilot had already seen them approaching and opened the door. He stepped in carefully and made his way to the back of the cabin, thankful he had brought his personal chopper as it was the most luxurious. The seats were more like couches and since Mokuba was usually with him, he accomidied for extra comfort items.

He glanced down at the Pharaoh and felt relief wash over him as he noticed he had better control of his breathing now. The hyperventilating had reduced to gasps and he quietly cried into the shirt he had balled up into his fists and covered his face with to conceal the tears from his rival. Kaiba had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at this useless gesture. It was much too late to hide anything, and even if he had concealed the tears he couldn't stop the broken sobs that tore from his throat.

As he laid Yami down across the seats, he glanced over to the pilot who was standing a short distance away quietly awaiting orders.

"Take us home." He ordered simply before turning his attention back to his rival. He heard the door to the cockpit slide shut and he reached out to untangle Yami's fingers from his shirt. He was once again made aware of just how cold his rival's hands were, and he wondered if it had to do with him being a spirit inside Yugi's body. His rival's eyes were still clenched shut and Kaiba felt a sting in his heart as Yami turned away from him to hide his tears.

"There's no bother in trying to hide it from me at this point. I was there to see it all happen." Kaiba sighed as he attempted to offer some sort of comfort while keeping his cool demeanor. He couldn't let his rival know about these conflicting feelings of his, torn between opening up his emotions or maintaining his uncaring facade.

Although Yami was still quivering from all of the emotion and stress, he managed to steady his breathing while he finally dared to turn and face Kaiba. His skin was clammy and pale and his eyes were bloodshot, but he still held his gaze as he gritted his teeth.

"Kaiba… Yugi… he's…"

"I know." Kaiba interrupted, not wanting Yami's anxiety to flare up again. "We'll get him back."

There was something that flashed in the Pharaoh's eyes that Kaiba picked up on, a small spark of recognition and hope. Kaiba realized that Tristan and Rafael had been speaking the truth about soul stealing. His rival wouldn't be acting this way if it wasn't real. Regardless of the situation, he had never let him give up before and he wasn't about to let him now. He remembered the time when Yami fought for his first Egyptian God and he had fallen to his knees in shock and defeat. It was his words of encouragement that allowed his rival to pick himself back up and win the duel.

Yami sucked in a breath and snapped his eyes back shut as more tears escaped and cursed to the gods, clearly upset with himself for letting Kaiba see him in such a state. Kaiba shook his head and walked to the other side of the cabin and opened a small cabinet, pulling out a neatly folded blanket and returning to his rival's side.

 _This is Mokuba's favorite blanket to use when we travel._ He mused as he draped the soft gray fabric over the Pharaoh's body, watching his amethyst eyes open in confusion and close again when he realized what had happened. He heard a shaky sigh and was able to calm himself when he noticed Yami was finally starting to relax.

He felt a small jolt as the helicopter was beginning to lift off of the ground, and he turned to take a step to his own seat on the other side of the cabin when cold fingers slipped around his wrist, causing him to jump in alarm. He turned to see Yami staring at him, his tearful expression filled with sorrow and pain. It tore through his chest like a hot knife and it took strength for him to keep his composure. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he turned his body fully to face his rival again. Not sure of what to say, he allowed the grip on his wrist to tighten and waited for the Pharaoh to speak first.

"Kaiba…" His voice was hoarse and breathless. He frowned at this and stared into Yami's eyes.

"Call me Seto."

Formalities weren't needed. Yami wouldn't be able to relax if he was worried about such trivial things at a time like this, Kaiba decided. He had to focus on letting him heal mentally if they were ever to rescue Yugi.

"Seto…" Kaiba's breath hitched in his throat. No one called him by his name except for Mokuba, and hearing it from his rival gave him an odd sense of comfort. He chose to brush the feeling aside as Yami continued. "What if it's too late? What if… he's already gone?"

Kaiba sighed and thought for a moment, before taking a step forward and sitting above Yami's head, crossing his legs and leaning against the backrest. Yami moved to sit up and look at him but the brunette placed a hand over his chest to still him. He needed to rest.

"It's not too late." He replied at last, his hand remaining firmly on top of his rival's chest. "We'll find him. I promise."

It was a gut feeling, but he'd learned from the past that he could trust it.

He was honestly surprised Yami accepted that answer, watching his rival's eyes close once again as he seemed to drift into his own silent tormented thoughts. More tears slipped down his cheeks but Kaiba didn't dare allow himself to wipe them away. He opted instead to gaze out the window, watching the faraway scenery shifting as they moved over the desert. The sun was now up. By now, the trio should be at Professor Hawkins' RV and had explained everything to the rest of the group.

He broke his gaze to glance down at Yami, seeing his rival internally battling with the demons inside his head. How long would it take for him to recover from this? No one could understand what exactly he was going through. It's not as if any sane person would believe him if Kaiba dragged him to a therapist. That would only do more harm than good, he decided. He sighed and rested his head against the seat and stared at the roof.

 _It doesn't matter how long it takes. I'll stay with him until he's better. Those guys might come after him again if they realize the Pharaoh is still here. I can't imagine they…_ he swallowed thickly, _intended to take Yugi's soul._

Kaiba snapped out of his thoughts as he felt the Pharaoh's body jolt and twist beside him, another broken sob echoing through the cabin. Kaiba removed his hand from Yami's chest and opted for his shoulder as he rolled on his side.

"It's all my fault!" He cried suddenly, hugging the blanket around him tighter and curling into himself. "It should have been me! But last second he… he had to push me out of the way! I was the one who played that damned card and he sacrificed himself for it. It should have been me! It should have been me..."

Kaiba was startled by Yami's babbled outburst and he squeezed his rival's shoulder in comfort, trying to pull him out of his trance. His mantra of guilt was going to be difficult to break. Without knowing exactly what happened, there were no words he could say to make the situation any easier. There was only one thing he could think of.

They were alone in the cabin. No one else would be there to witness him lower his defensive walls this one time, when the Pharaoh, his rival, his _friend_ , needed him the most. He didn't even give himself the chance to think about what Yami could say afterwards.

He pulled him into a hug.

Yami squeaked in surprise as his body was pulled upwards into Kaiba's embrace, and Kaiba knew he was successful in breaking him out of his dark prison of thoughts. He could feel Yami's hot breaths against his neck as the Pharaoh gripped his coat and sobbed into him, tears soaking through his shirt, which he paid no mind as he gathered the blanket and repositioned it over his broken friend.

"Relax." He sighed deeply and positioned himself so he was reclining, pulling Yami with him. All of his cold demeanor was gone, replaced by love and warmth and the light he desperately needed after the ordeal. With Yugi gone, there was no longer anyone there to ground his spirit. He would be the one to do it, as long as he needed to.

"Seto…" he heard his name again, softly whispered against his neck. He glanced down and his eyes met with uncertain amethyst. He could feel the tension in his rival's muscles and he knew Yami was unsure about Kaiba's actions. He offered a sad smile in return and moved a hand to the Pharaoh's back, rubbing small circles in an attempt to reassure him. He could still feel his rival trembling with sobs, but exhaustion was seeping in as he rested his head against Kaiba's shoulder in defeat. Kaiba closed his eyes.

"Seto… these men… they play that evil card… the Seal of Orichalcos," Yami explained breathlessly, closing his eyes as he tried to compose himself. "Whoever loses a battle when that card is in play… loses their soul…"

Kaiba pursed his lips as he was reminded of the horrible outcome of the battle, but didn't have much time to process his emotions as his rival continued.

"The Seal of Orichalcos… it's evil. It brings out the true nature of whoever plays it…" Yami squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to bury his face deeper into Kaiba's coat to hide his shame. "...and I used it."

Kaiba was silent, opening his eyes again to stare at the ceiling. He was starting to piece together what had happened.

"...He used a magic card… Exchange. We each only had one card in our hand, and he gave me the seal…" Yami swallowed and forced back another sob. Kaiba didn't release his grip on his rival but held him tighter. They needed to get through this.

"Yugi warned me… he _begged_ me not to play that card… but I… I didn't listen." He rambled, voice cracking as he curled the blanket around him tighter. His hands began trembling.

"Rafael told me how I was an evil Pharaoh… and he was right… I-" Kaiba refused to let him continue. His beliefs in their ancient past may be confusing and doubtful but he wasn't going to let his rival believe he was evil. He put a finger to Yami's lips to shush him and he looked him in the eyes.

"That's enough." He whispered gently, curling his arms around him tighter. One arm draped over his chest and around his slim waist while the other supported his back. His hand rested on the top of Yami's head and he let his fingers run through his hair comfortingly.

"Seto…" Yami whimpered back softly, lifting his head to glance up at Kaiba, but a warm hand cupped his cheek and brought him gently back against his rival's chest. He felt the fresh tears against his fingers.

"You were up all night weren't you." It wasn't a question. Kaiba could tell the bloodshot eyes and dark circles weren't just from the last hour. Yami had dropped hints of exhaustion many times, but only now did Kaiba feel he could properly address it.

Before waiting for an answer, he sighed heavily and relaxed his body against the seat, willing his heartbeat to slow and his body to calm. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift to Mokuba, recalling how he used to hold his little brother just like this when he comforted him from his nightmares.

 _How oddly familiar,_ he mused, feeling the small trembles through his fingertips as he continued to run them through soft hair. He could feel tensed muscles relaxing against him and he knew it was working. He smiled softly and opened his eyes. _Just like Mokuba…_

"Go to sleep, Yami."

Still held firm against his chest, Yami was staring out the window with glazed, heavy lidded eyes. Kaiba's heartbeat was lulling and exhaustion was taking its toll. The tears that rolled down his cheeks were silent and Kaiba decided it was the best he could do for now. Whatever evil thoughts that tormented his rival's mind earlier seemed to have left him. Now, he simply grieved for his lost other half.

As if noticing his thoughts had shifted back to the Pharaoh, tired eyes locked onto his once more, a final effort to show Kaiba his emotions. He could see them all through clouded exhaustion: guilt, confusion, fear, anxiety… but above all, one thing stood out to him.

Gratitude.

He smiled sadly and looked at the broken rival before him, wordlessly promising to himself that he would come out of this alright. He would never let him experience this anguish again. They would get Yugi back and this would all be over. He whispered his command once more,

" _Sleep."_

Amethyst eyes fluttered closed.

Yami was not awake to feel Kaiba brushing the tears from his cheeks.

 _ **~FIN~**_

 **I currently have no plans to continue this. However if you enjoyed and would like a second part, please do follow just in case.**

 **Thank you!**


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